So far, his list includes 368 from Chile, 272 from Argentina, and about a dozen people each from Australia, Britain, Spain and Uruguay. No Canadians visited during the month of December, which is summer in Chile.
Not that they'd be missing much in Puerto Octay -- where the main landmarks are the Hotel Centinela and a 100-year old church -- but the Lake District, where the village is located, is definitely worth exploring for its spectacular scenery.
Located in southern Chile , it's a land of parks, waterfalls, volcanoes, small towns with a European flare, and of course plenty of lakes. Chief among them is Lake Llanquihue -- the third largest lake in South America.
I set off one morning on a day-long road trip around this pristine body of water with my guide Cristobal Fierro Becker of Protours. We began at the southern tip of Lake Llanquihue in the gorgeous city of Puerto Varas, (population 33,000) which has a 3-km-long crescent-shaped beach and views of two snowcapped volcanoes: The perfect cone of Osorno (2,680 metres) and the shattered cone of Calbuco (2,015 metres).
Becker suggested we bypass the main road and take a less travelled dirt road instead, which offered more views of the lake and a bucolic landscape. The drive was pleasant. We passed farmland, where 10 varieties of potatoes grow, and saw many more cows and sheep (and occasionally llamas) than people. Every so often one of the volcanoes would come into view.
It was an hour before we saw another vehicle -- a truck carrying salmon-filled tanks. Salmon farming is the most important industry in the area and Chile, Becker explained, is the third biggest salmon producer in the world after Norway and Canada.
"We have a very precise way to know if it's going to rain in this area," my guide explained, changing the subject. "If the wind is blowing from the south that means good weather for sure. If it's from the north that means water, rain."
There's no wind at all when we stop in Frutillar, the most German town in Chile, where you can buy apple strudel, drink Kunstmann beer or stay at the Hotel Klein Salzberg.
Frutillar, like Puerto Varas and a few other towns along the lake, was settled by German immigrants beginning in the 1850s. Apparently Chile encouraged settlers to the area to prevent a potential land grab from neighbouring Argentina. Today 35% of the town's population is of German descent. It seemed appropriate that Becker, whose mother is German, should be the one showing me around town.
A good historic introduction to the town can be found at the Museo Colonial Aleman de Frutillar. Behind a large garden out front is a watermill, replicas of two German colonial homes with furnishings, a circular barn with agricultural machinery inside and a blacksmith's shop where, for good luck, you can have your name engraved on a horse shoe for 3,000 pesos ($6).
Frutillar is also known for its highly regarded classical music festival, which takes place annually in late January and early February at Teatro del Lago (Theatre on the Lake).
By mid afternoon we're driving towards Las Cascadas, an area known for its empanadas (stuffed half-moon shaped pastries), then veer east for Petrohue on a paved road, where for the first time I catch sight of the Puntiagudo Volcano. I feel lucky to glimpse it's conical peak, which is usually obscured by clouds.
"There's a puma around here," said Becker. "They call it the Chilean lion, we may see one." Southeast of the lake, past fields of daisies, we enter the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park -- the oldest and one of the biggest national parks in Chile. A few metres past a souvenir shop selling alpaca sweaters for about $25, we take the short "Sendero los Saltos," trail where water spills over basalt columns against the backdrop of the Osorno Volcano.
The puma was nowhere in sight when we stopped at a placed called Bella Vista on the way back. We were told the animal, which had been on the property for 18 years, was gone. There was, however, a stunning view, as the name suggests, as well as an emu and lots of llamas milling about.
Having skipped lunch I decided to splurge on dinner back in Puerto Varas. I went looking for authentic Chilean cuisine and eventually found it at my hotel -- the Melia Patagonia.
If the meal was anything like the lodging I knew I'd be satisfied. And the price was right. I ordered a traditional dish -- lightly battered Sea Bass "a lo pobre," with onions, fries and a fried egg, which came to just 6,000 pesos ($12) -- not bad for an upscale eatery.
It turns out the scenery isn't the only thing worthy of a five-star rating in Chile's Lake District!
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IF YOU GO
MORE INFORMATION
Puerto Varas is a good base for day trips in the region. The Melia Patagonia, on a hill above Lake Llanquihue, is a two-minute walk from the beach and the town centre. A comfortable and modern newish five-star hotel with 91 rooms, it has large outdoor patios overlooking the Osorno Volcano and spacious common areas with cozy couches and coffee table books about Chile to read. Check solmelia.com.
A few steps from the hotel is a very good wine shop, El Mundo del Vino, and the small new Schneider Museum with an impressive collection including Indian artifacts, old coins and a variety of antique armaments from colonial times.
Protours can be reached at protourschile.com or info@protourschile.com.
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